Of Tea Tables and Cheshire Cats
by ChaosAngel4us
Summary: Hi; I'm Karol Dupre, Blood's little sister. What? You didn't know he had a little sister? Well now you do. Oh! Did  mention I lost my memory after I died? Yeah, you heard me; I DIED. Curious? I thought so. "T" for death and blood. Alice/Blood OC/Boris
1. Prolouge

**Bonjour, Madmoiselles and Monsiours. Me amo Eris and this is the second story I have written for Alice in the Country of Hearts. This will be multichapter and holds my OC Karol. Did they ever tell you anything about the friend that Elliot smashed his clock? Not much, so he'll be debuting i9n this chapter and this chapter only.**

**WARNING! THIS CONTAINS BLOOD/ALICE PAIRING AND AN OC/CANNON PAIRING! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!**

* * *

I lay out in the grass, my arms cradling my head along with a large pink boa. Contented purring resounded from the figure beside me and I turned to smile at the punk cat. When I looked at him, I was met with gold eyes, glittering in the moonlight. I giggled and stroked his velvety pink ears, my hand tracing his golden earrings. The night air was chilly, but no frigid enough to be uncomfortable. With a large pink cat to keep me warm, nothing could make me cold.

When I shifted my gaze upward, I noticed a star beginning to fall out of the sky. It lit up as it fell before disappearing entirely. I couldn't help the excited squeal that rose up. Boris chuckled from beside me. I smiled at him sheepishly.

"Did you see that?" I asked pointing at the sky. He nodded.

"Yeah, that's a shooting star," he explained, "have you ever seen one before?"

I shook my head, excitement still written all over my face.

"Make a wish, then. If you wish on a shooting star, it'll come true."

I closed my eyes, softly making my wish. _Please, please let Boris and I stay best friends forever and never let anything pull us apart. _When I opened my eyes, Boris was snoring softly. I couldn't help but giggle. That cat just couldn't get enough sleep. I curled up next to him and I wasn't long before I, too, fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

_**I wonder, did making a wish like that, when there was no way for anything to destroy our friendship, jinx it?**_

_**Well, whatever happened, my life as I knew it was coming to a close.**_

* * *

I remember being shaken awake when the sun was high in the sky.

"Seriously?" came the deep, dark voice of my older brother. My ocean eyes snapped open, meeting his electric green, and I smiled before I hugged him.

"Blood! You're home!" I yelled, squeezing him tightly, and effectively waking the slumbering cat beside me. Boris looked up, dazed.

Blood had been away on a trip for border negotiations with the other two territories. He has told me it would take a month, but it had only been two and a half weeks. I was so happy. In actuality, Blood was my half-brother. He and Vivaldi were born to a faceless woman after she slept with Deagamon Dupre, Lord of Hatter Mansion. Both children were faceless, until Vivaldi received a face and was placed in the Queen of Hearts throne. Blood was proclaimed Hatter Mansion's successor when he received his face not long after she did. Blood was seven, Vivaldi eleven, the day Harley Victarian came to Wonderland. She and Deagamon fell deeply in love, and a year later I was born.

Now, Blood was a full grown man: twenty going on twenty-one.

Vivaldi and I never really spoke with each other. She was really nice, according to Blood, but she was so far away, and it was hard for two people of enemy territories to meet with each other. The only place Boris and I were able to meet was in the forest near Clock Tower Plaza; it was neutral ground. Sometimes it was difficult, but being able to hang out and just be friends was worth it.

My clock ticked erratically as Blood spun me around in a circle. I had missed him so much.

"Hiya, Blood." Boris said cheerfully. Blood smiled at him.

"Hey, Boris. Been taking care of my little sister here?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. Boris nodded his head.

"Like always," he responded. He smiled at me and waved. "Well I better be off. Gowland'll get mad if I'm not back soon. See you, Kar!"

Blood grabbed my hand and with the other one I waved back at Boris. "Bye!"

As we walked back to Hatter Mansion, Blood told me all about his trip to the other territories. He explained about his meeting with _Mary_ Gowland *snicker* and riling him up enough to cause an all out war. I grimaced at his gory description of the battle.

"Do you really need to make him so angry all the time?" I asked. I may be young, but I am smart enough to know not to pick on an insane man with a shotgun. Then again, said man wasn't very smart for picking on the Mafia boss. Blood _did _have a knack for shooting things with his machine gun. That man will be the death of me, I swear.

"You know how I am, Little Sis. I can't help but pick on poor _Mary _all the time." He replied, smirking. I couldn't help erupting into giggles at the mention of Gowland's first name. It was just so _funny_.

I just loved Blood. We'd always been really close. It was hard to not love his rugged charm.

"How did speaking with Vivaldi go?" I asked, genuinely curious. I was always curious about my mysterious half-sister. I never got to see her because of the territory dispute, so that was probably the root of my curiosity.

Blood shrugged. "Like usual. She was very polite the whole time. Sometimes I wonder if she has any personality."

I giggled again. Hearing him talk about our older sister in such a flippant way made me feel less jealous when he visited her. He was _my_ brother; I really didn't want to share him. I leaned my head against his chest, the rhythmic _tick, tick_ filling me with peace and comfort. Blood felt like home. No, he _was_ home. He wasn't leaving me anytime soon.

"Hey, Blood, the next time you leave for border negotiations, can I come?"

Blood smiled down at me, the top of my head barely brushing his chest. "Anything you want, Kar. Anything you want."

* * *

The sun streaming through my window woke me from my nightmare. I was drenched in cold sweat, my breathing ragged and my body tangled in the bed sheets. Every time I slept, they returned. The only time I could escape them was when I was with Boris. I wasn't afraid to sleep with him by my side. Not even Blood could chase the nightmares away.

_A gun shot; pain shooting through my chest; blood blossoming through my white dress; Blood crying for the first time; Boris squeezing my hand; my mom struggling to keep me alive; blackness…_

I was trembling as the images from my dream danced before my eyes. Why was I plagued by them? Why did I continue to see myself die? Why this, why that, but none of my questions could be answered…

"Karol, are you ready for breakfast?" my mother called from the lower level of the mansion.

"Yes, Mother!"

I dressed quickly in a white dress that was very voluptuous at my knees. Black and white striped knee high socks were next along with white gloves that stretched to my elbows and a large black top hat. Black shoes were the final touch to my ensemble. I smoothed down my tangled black hair with a brush and took several needed deep breaths. It was all okay. They were only dreams. There was nothing to be worried about.

I descended the staircase to meet my mother. I then followed her down the hallway to breakfast. Blood and Elliot were already eating along with the four-year-old twins that had just received their faces. Their roles would be gatekeepers of Hatter Mansion the moment they could lift a scythe. I waved to Elliot and sat down next to Blood, my mother giving me a slightly disapproving glance.

My mother loved Blood, she really did, but she didn't like me hanging around a man with such violent mood swings. They didn't bother me; I was used to them.

"Good morning everyone!" Tyler yelled as he stepped into the room. He was a tall man, but significantly shorter than Elliot or Blood, with two droopy brown dog ears. His hair was the same shad as his ears with two almond shaped eyes that were a brilliant sky blue. He was dressed in a long dark blue trench coat with black trousers and black shoes. A black necktie was slightly askew around his throat and his short hair was sticking up in places. He was a jolly young man whose company I quite enjoyed. He and Elliot were the best friends you could find and the only reason the blond haired rabbit (though don't cal him a rabbit to his face) was here was because of Tyler. Everyone loved Tyler; he was one of those types of people.

"Morning, Tyler!" I responded just as cheerfully. He beamed at me, offering a dazzling smile and a wink. The twins cackled maniacally when he sat down next to them. They reached for his ears and he allowed them to tug on the adorable puppy ears (something Elliot forbid).

"So, what's the schedule for today?" the dog asked, scratching the back of his head.

"Blood, Elliot, and you have paperwork; we are in need of new servants. Karol will be babysitting the twins for the day and I will be cleaning the house. Someone has to get groceries sometime today as well." my mother replied stiffly. Tyler nodded as he grabbed a piece of buttered toast.

"Sounds like a plan." He turned to Elliot and Blood. "Shall we, Gentlemen?"

The three men left the table and proceeded upstairs. Blood smirked at me and gave a small wave. I lifted the twins into my arms when they were out of sight.

"Is it okay if I take them outside?" I asked. My mother nodded as she sipped her coffee.

"Yes, just keep them out of trouble."

* * *

The twins played in the grass, watching and occasionally squishing bugs. I laid back in the grass on my arms, absorbing the suns rays. A light breeze gently ruffled my black hair and pushed it away from my shoulders. The middle of the day was my favorite time of day; it usually lasted the shortest amount of time, but it was worth every second of it.

A rustle in the bushes not far from where I sat captured my attention and a familiar pair of pierced pink cat ears peeked out from behind the topiary. I smiled, closing my eyes.

"Hey, Boris. Come join us!" I yelled, waving him over. The twins squealed in delight when he emerged and lazily plopped down on the grass beside me. He slung an arm around my shoulders which caused me to instinctively lean in towards him.

"So, what's up, Kar?" he asked.

I shrugged. "I'm babysitting the twins. They're playing in the dirt and I decided it would be beneficial to my skin if I laid out in the sun." I yawned, the rays of the sun making me drowsy.

"If you're tired, I'll watch them for a little while." Boris offered. I smiled but shook my head.

"Thanks for the thought, but it's okay. I'm really not all that tired." I replied. His golden cat eyes narrowed slightly, but he shrugged and let it go. We sat in comfortable silence, the only noise coming from the twins playing together.

"I'm so glad to have you as a friend." I said, breaking the silence. "I hope we can stay like this: watching the sun and simply relaxing in the cool grass."

"Me too." Boris sighed.

I opened my eyes and angled my body towards him. "Hey, do you—" I was interrupted by guns going off and a bunch of faceless men emerging from the forest. Boris stiffened and I pulled Dee and Dum closer to me. I wouldn't let the get hurt. Boris shoved them behind us, and for once they remained silent.

"Give me the money, you dirtbag!" one yelled. He had an air about him that seemed leader-like.

"You'll get it when you get it!" another yelled. There were seven men; four were clustered in one group and three in the other. They had guns raised and were shouting back and forth at each other.

"No, you'll give it to me now!"

"I said you'll get the money! I don't have to give it to you today!"

"Yes you do!"

After yelling this, the one who I assumed was the leader of the larger group fired a shot, but it missed the man he was yelling at. Suddenly, I was hit with a pain in my stomach. I cried out; it _hurt. _My head hit the soft ground, but the pain was still there and that was when I began to scream. The gangs turned, saw what happened, and fled.

"Dude, you hit the _Dupre_ girl!" someone yelled. "You're as good as dead!"

"Not if he can't catch me."

Boris turned to look at me, terror written all over his features. I was still screaming. Red liquid blossomed outward from a thin hole in my powdery white dress.

"Karol, Hang on!" Boris said frantically. "HELP! KAROL GOT SHOT!" he yelled at the top of his lungs, trying to shout over my continuous screaming. The pain was overwhelming. Make it _stop! _I felt like I was being ripped apart. Boris placed his hands over the wound and pressed hard in an attempt to stop the blood flow. Servants nearby began to rush inside for help. Blood was the first outside. He lifted me into his arms and took me inside, Boris still pressing on my wound. He laid me down on a white divan and my mother darted into the room, a hand clasped over her mouth.

"Get bandages! Get a surgeon!" Blood ordered the nearby servants. When no one moved, he got angry. "MOVE before I KILL you!"

People started moving then. If I hadn't been in so much pain, I would have laughed.

My mother was handed bandages and Boris proceeded to help her wrap my stomach. Boris' hand slipped into mine and he squeezed it. I started to feel lightheaded from the blood loss and the pain in my stomach was starting to ebb as blackness began to cover my vision. I looked up into the bright green eyes of Blood. Moisture hit my face and I realized he was crying.

"Stay awake, Kar!" he yelled as my eyes began to flutter. "STAY AWAKE!"

I faintly remember hearing "KAR!" yelled from Blood, Boris, and my mother, but the blackness had taken over while I welcomed it with open arms. My clock began to tick slower and slower with each shallow breath until both my clock and breathing stopped entirely.

My name is Karol Dupre. I was twelve-years-old the day I died, the day my new life began.


	2. Down the Rabbit Hole

**Chapter numero dos. This is where the story begins. Karol is Blood's little sister, just to clarify, and the events of this chapter take place six years after the incident. **

* * *

Love is a horrible, fleeting emotion. One minute you're perfectly fine, the next, you're staggering to breathe when the other person enters the room. It grabs a hold of you in a terrible foothold that no matter how hard you try to pull away, you will never succeed. It never fully goes away; it simply switches faces, but the same terrible gut-wrenching feeling is always there. Very few young women have never felt the sting of love; fortunately I am one of those few. Unfortunately, I will be joining the many love-struck females in a matter of days. Or hours. No one really knows how Wonderland works exactly.

My name? I'm Karol Dupre.

* * *

"_Where are you taking me?" I asked the older boy. He turned to smile at me, his too big black top hat falling over his green eyes. _

"_To my rose garden." He replied. I reached up and lifted the hat out of his eyes. It was bugging me._

"_You have a rose garden?" I asked. I sounded so young; why did I look like a six-year-old? I was dressed in a white dress that puffed out at my knees. Black and white striped tube socks reached my knees and white gloves were on my hands all the way up to my elbows._

"_Of course I do. What do you think I do in my spare time?" he asked indignantly. "I planted them all for you." He added sheepishly._

_We walked into a small clearing of the forest. Inside were a few rose bushes, nothing fancy, but they were all beautiful. I ran over to a small budding white rose. It was the only white rose in the small garden._

"_I like this one. It's different from the rest." I stated. The older boy leaned over and yanked it from its stem. _

"_For you." He presented. A small drop of blood from his finger (apparently he stuck himself when removing the flower) fell and hit one of the rose petals, staining the flower right in the center. I watched in fascination as it spread slightly so the white rose now had a pinkish tint near the center and spread outward to white. Instead of being disgusted at the fact this boy's blood had tainted the flower, it only made it more beautiful._

"_Blood ties us together, Little Sister, forever."_

"Wake up, Kar!" my mother yelled, banging furiously on my door. I sat up, stunned, my eyes still closed. "You'll be late for tea, and heaven forbid that your grandmother goes into another fit of rage."

I grunted and muttered something unintelligible before flopping back down on my bed. Was sleep illegal around here? Let my bloody grandma go into a fit of rage; I don't give a buggerin' bullock. My mother wrenched open the door, light streaming into my dark room and I groaned as the light made contact with my sensitive eyes. I squeezed them shut and pulled the blankets over my head to block the offending light. My mother pulled the covers off of my head and glowered at me.

Her petite hands rested on her wait and her thin, pink lips were pursed tightly. A lock of auburn/brown hair fell over her milky brown eyes and she looked much younger than she actually was.

I loved my mom, but she needed to bugger off. I was tired and beauty rest made me absolutely gorgeous. That's also why I don't attend many of my morning lessons. What can I say? A girl like me that's out late all the time needs her rest.

"Karol Scarlet Dupre, get your arse out of bed before I drag you out m'self." My mother warned. I groaned and slowly dragged myself free from the warm array of blankets. Goodbye, my loves. I shall return after this dreary day!

I stood up and proceeded to my closet to get dressed for the day. My mother sighed before leaving the room. I tapped my chin thoughtfully. Today I would wear purple. I tugged on solid purple stockings, a terribly uncomfortable corset, and the final (and most important) article of clothing was the purple Lolita with black trimming. This wasn't one of my favorite outfits, but I'd survive. My mother would yell at me if I didn't show up wearing a corset or those ugly black shoes. I slipped into said ugly black shoes and set to work on untangling my mane of hair. I tried brushing though it, but eventually gave up on it, allowing several strands to stick out in random places. I opened my door and hurried down the stairs only to be stopped by my mother.

"Where is your bow?" she questioned.

I smiled sheepishly. "The, um, dog ate it?"

She wasn't amused. Within two minutes I had the wretched bow in my hair (my mother tried to smooth down my hair, but that didn't work too well) and was seated in front of the decrepit old lady called "Grandmother". She was sipping her tea quietly and I sat without speaking. I really did not like this woman.

She had taken the role of discipliner when I woke up from the coma I was in. Apparently when I was twelve, I was in a terrible automobile accident and placed in a coma for an entire week. When I woke up, I couldn't remember anything, not even my own mother. She smiled and told me how worried she was, and the next person I met (again, apparently) was my grandmother. I hated that woman from the start.

"How are your lessons going?" my grandmother asked.

"Quite well," I lied. I hadn't been to a morning class in weeks. "My teacher says I have improved very much." Ha, another lie. I can barely count much less learn how to sew.

My grandmother nodded. "Very well. Now, child, leave so I may speak with your mother."

I stood and left quickly, glad to be free from her. My mother walked in slowly. However, the look on her face made me stay behind to listen.

"She's been adjusting well, has she not?" Grandma asked.

"To an extent." My mother replied. "She won't be able to fit in well, though. She wasn't born here; she'll always be a—"

"Nonsense!" my grandmother interrupted. "Any child, within time, will adjust to a lifestyle. And I do not want you speaking about that place. You may have a strange child, but the issue with her heart isn't much proof that place exists."

My mother didn't respond even though I wished she would.

"Very well. Harley, you may leave."

My mother left the room and I didn't have time to hide. Her tired eyes met mine.

"What did you hear?"

"Not much," I replied, "but what issue with my heart were you talking about?"

My mother sighed. "Have you ever noticed that your heart sounds different from everyone else? How physical pain isn't much of a problem for you?" she left with that, leaving me more confused than before.

* * *

I sat down on my bed, contemplating my mother's words.

"_Have you ever noticed that your heart sounds different from everyone else? How physical pain isn't much of a problem for you?"_

I pressed a hand gently to my chest to feel for a heartbeat. A faint _tick, tick _emitted, and I stood up in alarm. My heart sounded like a clock; it sounded like the large grandfather clock that sat in the living room downstairs. But, how? I closed my eyes and listened harder, the sound stranger than anything I'd ever heard. Normal people had a heartbeat that sounded like a thump, but mine was a ticking noise. I wonder, was my heart an _actual _clock? It couldn't be; that wasn't natural, was it?

I looked outside, noticing a small white cat. It looked up at my window, its gold eyes glinting mischievously, and in this light its fur looked almost pink. I shook my head. That was strange. A pure white rabbit hopped over to sit next to the pink cat and a blue caterpillar was climbing on the windowsill. A light brown bunny appeared and a dormouse as well. Two cards from a deck, one a red queen of hearts and the other an ace of hearts, hit the closed window. All the animals and even the cards seemed to watching me. A lizard slithered up on the windowsill to sit next to the caterpillar. They seemed to be begging me to come outside. Behind them was a rabbit hole, large enough for me to fit. I blinked, and everything disappeared; everything except the hole.

I stood quickly, making my way down the stairs. I walked outside only to find that the hole had disappeared as well.

"There you are, my dear."

I turned to see my grandmother sitting in a chair just inside. I walked back through the door to stand not too close to the elderly woman. Something was off about her, and I didn't like it.

"Come, come; there is someone I want you to meet." She clapped her hands and a young man entered the room. He was tall and had short, clean cut blond hair and dark black eyes that watched my every move. He was dressed in a white suit and white gloves gripped my grandmother's hand when he kissed it.

"Mad 'am." He bowed and took a seat next to her. Oh no, this can't be happening. I narrowed my eyes.

"Karoline, this is Sir Jacob Rainsworth. He has asked for your hand and I have decided to allow it."

Now, I was never one for manners, so instead of allowing the sickly dread to just sink to the pit of my stomach and stay quiet, I jumped up, fury in my eyes.

"You have no right! The father gives the daughter away, and since my father is no longer with us, _I _decide who I marry!" I yelled angrily. I always hated this old woman who had dominated my life from the minute I could remember. She couldn't give me away to some random man!

"I am allowed whatever I want. Because your father isn't here I am in charge of you—" she started, but I cut the old woman off.

"You don't decide anything!" I screamed. "You're not even related to my father! I'll kill myself before I let you marry me off to some man you picked from god knows where!"

My grandmother stood up, matching the fury in my eyes with her own. "You will not speak to me this way. I am your elder and you will treat me with respect." Her voice was insanely calm. "You will be marrying Lord Rainsworth and until you accept this fact, you will retire to your bedchamber."

"No! You don't dictate my life anymore!" I yelled. "I'm leaving, and you can't stop me!"

With that, I spun on my heels, ripping the bow out of my hair, and ran out the door. I could faintly hear my grandmother yelling "Karol!" but I wasn't stopping anytime soon.

* * *

_A man wearing an eye patch watched the display, a smile on his face. _

"_Six years of searching for you, and I stumble upon you only by your temper." He chuckled. "Wonderland has missed you, Karol. Let's come home."_

_The man opened a portal to the dream realm and a large hole appeared not to far from the fleeing Karol._

"_I wonder what amount of chaos will follow you this time…?"_

* * *

I don't know how it happened, but one minute I'm running from my home, and the next I'm barreling down a large hole. With a shriek, I tried to find something to grab a hold of. There wasn't anything. The strange thing was, the hole seemed to go on forever. Finally, a bright light appeared, and with a thunk, everything went dark…


	3. Dum, Dee, Elliot, Who?

**Hello everyone! I'm back. This is chapter three and I'm very proud of this story. Basically, in the manga, (when Alice and Boris are talking, volume 2) she says that if he dies, even though he'll come back, he'll be different and not know her. So I thought, what if someone died and everyone remembered, but they don't remember everyone. This is basically a journey in search of lost memories. **

**BTW- To those of you that read No Happy Ending, this does NOT pertain to that. That story was because I needed to agnst and no one will die (except Karol, who has already died, but she won't die again). Just to clear things up. Enjoy! **

**Eris out.**

* * *

"_Karol, Hang on!" A boy with pink cat ears assured. "HELP! KAROL GOT SHOT!" he yelled at the top of his lungs, trying to shout over my continuous screaming. The pain was overwhelming. Make it stop! I felt like I was being ripped apart. The cat eared boy placed his hands over the wound and pressed hard in an attempt to stop the blood flow. Servants nearby began to rush inside for help. The same man I had dreams about before, only older, was the first outside. He lifted me into his arms and took me inside a large white mansion, the cat still pressing on my wound. He laid me down on a white divan and my mother darted into the room, a hand clasped over her mouth._

"_Get bandages! Get a surgeon!" The dark haired man in a black top hat ordered the nearby servants. When no one moved, he got angry. "MOVE before I KILL you!"_

_People started moving then. I don't quite understand why, but I felt like laughing._

_My mother was handed bandages and the pink cat boy proceeded to help her wrap my stomach. The cat's hand slipped into mine and he squeezed it. I started to feel lightheaded from the blood loss and the pain in my stomach was starting to ebb as blackness began to cover my vision. I looked up into the bright green eyes of the dark haired man. Moisture hit my face and I realized he was crying. _

"_Stay awake, Kar!" he yelled as my eyes began to flutter. "STAY AWAKE!"_

_I faintly remember hearing "KAR!" yelled from the two men and my mother, but the blackness had taken over while I welcomed it with open arms. My clock began to tick slower and slower with each shallow breath until both my clock and breathing stopped entirely._

I woke from the nightmare with a start. Sweat broke out over my brow and I grasped my chest to make sure I wasn't bleeding. The dream was so _vivid._ All those other times, I felt distant, but in this one, all the pain, all the fear, _everything _was there and full force. I took in several more breaths before standing to get a look at my surroundings.

I was in a rose garden. It looked so familiar; I just couldn't put my finger on it—

Ah! I had a dream about it last night. Only, there were less roses and no tea table in the center. Was I still dreaming? But, I just woke up from a dream, so wouldn't that make this a double dream of some sorts? I pinched myself, but nothing changed. I remember falling down a hole and hitting my head, but that's basically it.

…The roses smell so nice; they're so… nostalgic. I don't know why… is it only because I'm dreaming?

…No, I can't be dreaming. This is too vivid; even more so than the other dream. I must have run farther than I thought. Maybe I should find the owner of this garden and apologize.

I made my way out of the winding maze of flowers and came upon a large white mansion. It was the same from my earlier dream; it was grand with a large gate. I was only looking at it from a different angle. Something cold and sharp touched my shoulder and I spun around coming face to face with twin brothers holding scythes. One wore blue, the other red, and the one in red had the blade pressed against my neck.

"What do we have here, brother?" the one in red asked, a sadistic smile on his face. They were what, ten? Why were they carrying weapons!

"Dum, I do not know. Should we dispose of her?" The one in blue responded. The one in red, Dum apparently, shrugged.

"Well, that sounds like a good idea. No trespassing, lady." Dum said.

Wait a second, Dum… Dee! Dum and Dee!

"Dum and Dee!" I shouted. How did I know their names? Wait, I know them! I babysat them when they were four! I wrapped my arms around their necks and pulled them against me. "I remember you!" I yelled. They stood there dumbly, not really sure how to respond. I pulled away, still not sure why I remember them, but nothing else from before the accident.

"Don't you remember me? I'm Karol. Karol Dupre."

Both boys swung their scythes around, resting them on my throat and chest. I squeaked, just a little but.

"Imposter!" Dee accused.

"How dare you take Karol's name for your own!" Dum yelled as well. "We remember her clearly; we watched her die!"

"What?" I asked in confusion. "Maybe you've confused me with someone else. As you can see I haven't died." I tried to calmly placate them, but they would have none of it.

"Oi, Twins!" a male voice yelled, "Why are you attacking more civilians?"

I turned to see a tall man, in his mid-twenties, with orange/blond hair and _rabbit_ ears to match! I stood there, dumbfounded, but not as surprised as I should be. He looked familiar, but I couldn't put my finger on it. Where have I seen him before…?

"She isn't doing any harm. As you can see— Karol?" he stopped mid-sentence after looking at me. His mouth dropped open.

"Uh, yes?" I said, hoping he wouldn't try to kill me.

"Oh my go— you _are _Karol!" the rabbit man yelled, enveloping me in a hug and lifting me off of the ground. I didn't know how to respond, similar to the situation I placed Dum and Dee in earlier. He set me on the ground, and the Twins looked at me in Wonder and hope.

"Are you _really_ Karol Dupre?" Dum asked.

"_Not _an imposter?" asked Dee. I nodded slowly.

"Yeah; I've always been known as Karol Dupre, if that's what you're asking. If I remember you two, then I'm probably the same Karol you know too." I said looking to the rabbit man. "You see, six years ago when I was twelve, I—"

"—died." The rabbit man interrupted. I shook my head.

"Why does everyone think I died! I was in an automobile accident and lost all of my previous memories. I've been working hard to regain them, but they're repressed for some reason." I said, shaking my head. "But, I think hitting my head helped me remember Dum and Dee; I babysat them when they were four."

The rabbit man nodded his head. "Yes, and you lived in this mansion with your mother, brother, me, Tyler, and the Twins."

I looked at him in confusion. "Who?"

The rabbit eared man scrunched up his face in thought. "Don't you remember the rest of us? I'm Elliot; these are Dum and Dee, your brother Blood, Boris, Vivaldi…? Anyone?" Elliot asked. Elliot… I rolled his name around on my tongue. He was also familiar, faintly, but familiar none the less.

"Wait, I have a brother named Blood!" I said, the main thing I heard from his words. Elliot nodded, confused at my outburst. "Is that even a real name…?" I asked myself out loud. Blood was a… peculiar name, but I couldn't make fun of it. Naming someone Mary when they were a guy… _that _I could laugh about.

"Um, yes. That is a real name. It's just so strange to see you and have you completely forget everyone—" Elliot said.

"Except us!" the twins chimed in, interrupting slightly. Elliot nodded, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

"Yes, except you two." He trailed off, pacing a little bit. "Well, I guess that cannot be helped. Come in, Karol and have something to eat and drink. Blood is away at the moment for border negotiations and won't be back for a while. If you are in need of a place to sleep for the night, we have several empty chambers because we are short on several servants. I can order some food and bring it to your room, if you like. We have so many delicious dishes! We have carrot cake, carrot dumpling, carrot pie, carrot rulé…"

My thoughts wandered as Elliot droned on. Apparently, I had a brother and he was away for border negotiations…

_I was walking beside a tall man wearing a black top hat. His face was dark and fuzzy; I couldn't make it out. As we walked, he told me about a trip he had taken to other territories. He explained about his meeting with someone named Mary Gowland and how he riled him up enough to cause an all out war. I grimaced at his gory description of the battle._

"_Do you really need to make him so angry all the time?" I asked. _

"_You know how I am, Little Sis. I can't help but pick on poor _Mary_ all the time." He replied, cockiness to his tone. I couldn't help erupting into giggles at the mention of Gowland's first name. It was just so funny._

_His face… it was obscured and bugging me. I felt like I should know who he was, but something was pushing me away, saying he was a stranger and to run, but words poured from my mouth, scripted practically._

"_How did speaking with Vivaldi go?" I asked, curious, but not sure how I knew the name. _

_The tall, dark haired man shrugged. "Like usual. She was very polite the whole time. Sometimes I wonder if she has any personality."_

_I giggled again, but I'm not quite sure why. He was only talking about a woman. Jealously panged in my heart/clock/thing and I leaned my head against his chest, the rhythmic tick, tick practically lulling me to sleep._

"_Hey, Blood, the next time you leave for border negotiations, can I come?"_

_The man in a black top hat with hair just like mine and an opaque face looked down at me, the top of my head barely brushing his chest. "Anything you want, Kar. Anything you want."_

"Karol…?" Elliot called, waving his hand in front of my face. I snapped back into reality.

"Huh? What?" I asked, dazed and a bit confused. What just happened? Was that a daydream? Or, possibly, a memory…?

"Are you alright?" Elliot asked. I nodded, my head pounding. What was going on with me lately? I couldn't help but feel nostalgic about this place, but my thoughts were so jumbled I couldn't make out what was going on. Who was I before the accident? Did I really… die…? Is this my true home? Who is Blood and why doesn't his name bring a familiar feeling with it?

"I-I don't feel so well. Could I lay down somewhere?" I asked. Elliot nodded and led me into a large living room. A large divan by the wall screamed fear and death, making me backtrack as he motioned to it.

"Please not there…" I practically whispered. Emotions were running rampant, sights, smells, thoughts clouding everyone of my senses. Elliot nodded again and lifted me from the floor right before my knees gave out. I was crying, but I don't know why.

"Help me…" I mouthed, words far from being formed. I squeezed my eyes shut. Nothing made sense. I just wanted to sleep.

* * *

When I opened my eyes, I knew I was dreaming. Someone in a strange looking suit, gray-blue hair, and wearing an eye patch was _floating_ not too far away from me. He smiled and waved.

"Welcome back, Karol." He greeted. I looked at him, confused because I was sure I'd never seen him before.

"Back? Back where? And how do you know my name?" I asked.

"Welcome back to your true home: Wonderland."


	4. Disarray

**Chapter four! I'm excited because I'm hoping to finish this story soon. There aren't many chapters left (it's a shorter story) and I am hoping to finish this before Winter break. During fall break I'll try to update like a madwoman the other stories I have, along with this one, so if you are reading any of my other stories as well, sorry for leaving you hanging! I'm just SO busy, and school is hell. literally.**

**I have the ending written, but an estimated amount of chapters overall is probably at least ten. Scratch that, fourteen probably. ten seems so short... But it'll probably be ten. Yeah, it's ten-ish. Forget the whole fourteen thing. Stick with me! **

**Oh yeah, and Tyler makes a semi- appearance in this chapter due to a flashback. Oh! Another thing, is that this story takes place right after volume 4 in the mangas. Just FYI. **

**Enjoy and sorry for my ramblings!**

* * *

"My true…home…?" I repeated, stunned. "Wonderland…?"

The floating man nodded, a smile gracing his lips. His eyes (er, eye) were a hypnotic shade of gray, and seemed to be peering into my very mind. It felt as if he was exposing every thought, every fear, and just laying them out on a table for everyone to see. I shivered at the intense sensation.

"Karol, I _can _see into your thoughts." He interrupted my train of thought, "And I can also see those memories. They're still there, deep down, buried under years of reform and the shock of having your clock stop."

Wait, how did he know I have a clock for a heart! Or, at least, a heart that _sounds_ like a clock…

"I know, because I know _you_. When you died, all of Wonderland went into chaos. Blood lost all control. He began to kill anything and everything in sight without a second thought. Tyler, you remember him, right? He went after the men who shot you. He found them, killed them, but ended up dying in the process."

I stood there, coming up blank. None of this meant anything to me, because I had no idea who he was or who he was talking about. The pirate man sighed.

"I'm Nightmare, an Incubus. Is it really that easy to forget a place like this?" he asked, tilting his head to the side. I shrugged.

"I don't know what's going on. So much information is being thrust on me that I don't know anything anymore…" I whispered. It was true; one minute I'm a normal girl in London trying to escape an arranged marriage, the next I'm suddenly this girl from a strange land full of strange people.

"Actually, you're the sister to a Mafia boss." Nightmare added. I jumped, and spun around, momentarily forgetting his mind-reading ability. YOU ARE A FREAKY PIRATE MAN!

"… Thanks." He responded bitterly to my thought. Heh, heh.

"So, apparently, I live in a land where everything is strange, such as people carry weapons around and kill a lot along with having physical animal characteristics. I'm the sister—"

"—_half _sister."Nightmare interrupted. I nodded.

"—half sister of a Mafia boss and used to live in a large mansion with a bunch of people. I apparently died at twelve, destroying my brother and causing the death of his closest friend. My memories disappeared along with my mysterious resurrection, and now everyone knows me, but I do not know any of them. Except Dee and Dum." I finished. "Did I get everything?"

Nightmare nodded, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "Yeah, that sounds about right."

I couldn't help but smile at him. "Do you think you could help me out a little bit more with who everyone is?" I asked. Nightmare smiled back, nodding slowly.

"Of course, Karol."

* * *

The dusk sky turned quickly to the black that Blood enjoyed so much. He was currently negotiating borders with Gowland, and it was taking longer than expected. His green eyes looked upward at the twinkling stars, regret and sorrow beginning to settle in his heart. The ball was less than ten revolutions away, and Blood found himself desperately wishing for the brunette foreigner to attend. He knew what had transpired between the two of them the last time they met wasn't on the best of terms; he had overreacted, yes. Everything he did that day was uncalled for, but as usual, in the heat of an argument, Blood found himself saying and doing things he never intended.

"…_A rule is a rule. And you broke it." Blood said, his voice soft and deadly. "You saw something you shouldn't have. Now I need to punish you." Quickly, his hand snapped up to close around Alice's throat. She gasped in pain, clawing at his wrist, slowly choking to death._

"_I've always fantasized…" Blood began slowly, a sadistic smile gracing his lips, "…about __**killing**__ an outsider…" his voice filled with delight at the prospect. Alice was terrified; this insane man was going to kill her, and there was nothing she could do. _

"_To wrap my dirty fingers around such a beloved throat. To destroy what everyone loved." His voice droned on, pleased with the thought of her death. "But you turned out to be more interesting __**alive**__. I liked you. To the point where I didn't want to kill you." Sadness crept into his voice when he admitted how he had gained feelings for the younger woman. "I never thought it would come back to crushing you with my bare hands."_

_Alice, still gasping for breath, continued to struggle. She coughed violently. "What's… wrong with you?" she managed to yell, "You tell me you… like me… while you're trying to k-kill me!" she gasped in another mouthful of air. "Is… Vivaldi next? Will you kill her because you love her?"_

_Blood froze in shock. Vivaldi…? She thought… he loved his own sister __**romantically**__? He released her small throat and she fell back breathing in deep gulps of air. _

"_Love her…?" he questioned out loud, "No… It seems I have misunderstood."_

_Alice looked at his questioningly, still trying to get more air into her depleted lungs. Blood stood and turned away from her. _

"_I don't love that woman." He said. His thoughts drifted to the only woman he loved, not romantically, but still, his half sister Karol. She had died about six years ago at the age of twelve. Alice could never understand the deep love he had for his deceased kid sister. _

"_What's going on then? Because that's what it looked like to me." Alice demanded angrily. Her breathing was less ragged and she could feel energy coursing through her veins. _

"_Think what you want to think. No one will believe you anyway." Blood retorted angrily. Images of Karol began to fill his mind and he was growing angrier by the second. _

"_Then what were you two doing? You're supposed to be enemies." Alice persisted. Blood sighed._

"_Nothing that concerns you." He replied. They always met to discuss their deceased sister. Vivaldi hadn't known Karol very well, so they met when they could to discuss her. "You're certainly pushy about this. But I think I know why. If you're falling for me, pick yourself right back up."_

Blood closed his eyes in exasperation. He didn't want to think about this anymore. It already hurt knowing what he had done to Alice. No need to continue dwelling on it. He sighed. Everyone in his life, he was pushing away. Karol had meant everything to the young hatter; when she died, his life fell apart, slowly.

Tyler went out in search of the faceless men that killed her. He ended up dying in the process. Elliot and Blood had found him in his last few moments.

"_Tyler!" Elliot cried. He rushed to his friend's side, lifting the bloody body into his lap._

"…_Elliot…?" Tyler asked weekly. Elliot nodded his head._

"_I'm here." _

_Blood noticed the bloodied corpses of several faceless men._

"…_I found them…" Tyler gasped, wheezing in the process, "Killed… lot, but some… got away…" _

_Elliot felt hot tears begin to prick his eyes. "It'll all be okay, Tyler. I promise."_

"_No… it won't…" Tyler whispered, "Just promise me… one thing… Destroy… my clock…" _

_Elliot nodded his head, tears beginning to fall even harder. "I promise."_

"_Good…"_

_And with that, Tyler left them. His body dissolved, leaving behind a golden clock. Elliot lifted the butt of his gun into the air and smashed it onto the small clock before Blood could stop him. _

"_Elliot!" Blood hissed, "You __**idiot**__! You're going to be thrown in jail now!"_

"_I don't care anymore." The March Hare said dejectedly. "What's the point? My best friend's dead. He died avenging the brightest light in all of Wonderland. Karol's dead and the Hatter Mansion is slowly falling into disarray. What do I have to live for?" _

_Blood pondered these words as the afterimages took Elliot March away. His sister was dead and the most honorable man in Wonderland was too. The Hatter Mansion __**needed**__ Elliot. With a determined look, Blood knew what he was going to do:_

_He was breaking the March Hare out of prison, no matter the cost._

Shaking his head, Blood returned his thoughts to the matter at hand. He loved Alice, he truly did. He regretted everything that had happened that day. The only way to fix this? Apologize. Yes, Blood Dupre apologizing is something many would say impossible, but for Alice…

Somewhere, deep down, Alice felt something for him too. If those feelings could be brought to the surface, maybe things would end up smoothly.

Besides, the Hatter had already lost too many of his closest friends and family. He wasn't about to loose the woman he loved as well.

Blood sighed before making his way back into Gowland's office. The sooner he got this over with, the sooner he could get home. The sooner he could get home, the sooner he could apologize to Alice.


	5. Welcome Home, Blood Dupre

**Welcome back, all! Here's chapter 5 and sorry about the mix-up with chapter 4; I fixed it though, so go back and reread it in you didn't understand it. **

**Just to make things clear, this story takes place right after volume 4. Alice has already arrived in Wonderland and the ball is going to be held. She is still mad at Blood and refuses to be anywhere near him. Let's see if Miss Dupre (Karol) can change her mind... ;)**

* * *

"Oh, okay." I said as the images of the role holders vanished. "So there are three warring territories, but they relatively get along?" I asked. Nightmare nodded and took a seat on the ground next to me. He examined my clothing silently, scrunching up his face as he did.

"Look, Karol, I do believe you stand out in attire such as that. Perhaps you should change into something more… fitting." He suggested. I tilted my head to the side in confusion.

"Huh? More fitting?"

Nightmare chuckled. "Look, Elliot has taken you to your old room. You look like you haven't grown too much so your old dresses might still fit. Put one on so you blend in a bit more." He explained. I nodded, but paused.

"Hey! Are you calling me immature!" I demanded.

"No, simply stating the obvious."

"Grr…"

* * *

I opened my eyes and noticed I had been asleep in a large white bed with black sheets. Elliot must have taken the liberty to tuck me in. I smiled. How sweet, and semi-nostalgic.

I stood up, stretching my unused limbs, and walked over to the closet. Inside were many white dresses and two black top hats were sitting above them. A small dresser was inside the closet, and several pairs of folded black and white striped stockings were in one of the drawers. A ring with a pink jewel in the center sat on top of the dresser.

I slipped into one of the dresses. Ugh, it still fit. It was snug in the chest (**VERY** snug), but other than that it fit. I must have been a large twelve-year-old. Or maybe I'm a small eighteen-year-old. The stockings still fit and I placed one of the hats atop my head. Examining myself in the mirror, I realized that this seemed right. I don't know, like I've always done this.

What had happened to me? Was "Karol Dupre" really a girl that lived this strange life? Was the "automobile accident" just a cover up for what really happened? Did I really…die?

It was too much to think about. I decided to walk downstairs to the living room (whoa. How did I know where it was?). Elliot and the twins were eating… something that smelled delicious. I sat down between the twins and licked my lips.

"Can I get some food?" I asked. Elliot chuckled and waved over one of the servants. A few minutes later I was eating whatever it was they were as well. I tasted like carrot soufflé, but it was amazing anyway.

"I see you're feeling better." Elliot commented good naturedly.

"Can you play with us, Onee-san?" Dee asked.

"Yeah, we want to show you around 'cause you've been gone for so long." Dum added. I smiled and rubbed both of their heads.

"Sure you guys. Let's go terrorize the neighborhood."

That earned laughter from them.

"I called Blood. He's going to be home by dusk, so bring her back by then, okay?" Elliot said. The twins nodded.

"Okay!"

"Boss probably misses Lady and Onee-san."

"LET"S GO!" they shouted simultaneously and ran for the doors. I chuckled and followed them out. Unconsciously, I touched my chest and felt the rhythmic "tick tock" of my clockwork heart. It was so strange, bu8t apparently everyone here had clocks instead of hearts. Put that together with the fact things seem so familiar and it proves I belong here. But, what actually happened to me? I wonder who knows the truth. Did my mother know all along that I didn't belong up there?

"Onee-san!" Dum wined, waking me from my thoughts. I shook my head and jogged to catch up with them.

"This is town!" Dee announced and the two began pointing out various shops and we stopped inside a candy store. I giggled; they were so cute. Despite the whole scythe wielding and almost killing me part. They had loads of money (where'd they get it from…?) and bought enough candy to last them a year. And then some.

"Does Onee-san want some?" Dee asked. I shook my head no.

"It's alright. You guys have it. I'm not, er, hungry right now."

They nodded and began shoving as much candy into their mouths as could fit. I eventually had to stop them when Dee began to choke.

We stopped inside a bakery and the boys bought me some rolls that they said were "the most amazing food on the planet". Mmmm… I'm gonna have to agree with them there…

The rest of the morning was spent exploring town and shooting at random people. I told them the only way they could shoot the people was if they purposefully missed. If one person died, the game was over. *sigh* I never thought I'd be playing a game like **that. **_Ever_. What has my life come to? I'm telling kids to shoot at people! With _real _guns!

When the morning turned to mid-day I decided we should head back to the Mansion.

"Twins! Let's go; Elliot said to be back before dusk!" I called as some faceless woman ran from bullets they peppered at her. Both boys groaned simultaneously and dragged their feet over to me.

"Five more minutes?" Dee pleaded.

"Yeah, only five more, Onee-san, _please_?" Dum added. I sighed but stayed firm. You had to in these situations. I took in a deep breath, puffed out my chest, and spoke with determination.

"Five more minutes. Not six, not five and a half. _Five _minutes."

**

* * *

**

"_Blood!" I yelled, running inside the large white mansion. A boy of twelve sat in a chair reading a book. He glanced up from the pages, his large black top hat falling in front of his face. His face was slightly fuzzy and hard to make out, but from what I could see he was smiling._

"_What do you want, Karol?"_

"_Can Boris come to the tea party tonight?" I asked, pleading in my eyes. He sighed and remained silent for a moment._

"_Kar, you __**know **__I only invite residents of Hatter Mansion to my tea parties." He answered. I pouted and sat in a heap on the floor, crossing my arms across my chest. "__**But**__, I'll make an exception. Just. This. Once."_

_I beamed at him, throwing myself into his arms. _

"_Thanks, Big Brother!" I said and waltzed out of the room. _

_Boris attended every tea party since then…_

**

* * *

**

I shut the door behind us, all three of us breathing hard. It had turned dusk rather quickly and we were forced to run all the way home. Gasping, I rested against a table in the hall and tried to gain back my breath. When I was breathing at a normal pace I turned to examine my appearance in the mirror. I combed my fingers through my raggedy hair several times until I felt I was presentable and turned to look at the twins. They were in a heap on the floor. Shaking my head, I helped them stand.

"We shouldn't have stayed for so long." I chided. They nodded. Dee's hat had gone missing in our run; I'd go get it later. Or he would. Either or.

"Onee-san, we had fun." Dum said. He wrapped his arms around my waist. I smiled and ruffled his hair.

"I had fun too."

I hugged Dee as well and the three of us shared a group hug.

"You know, I've missed you guys." I said. "It's so weird coming to this place after six years and finding out that I'm not who I thought I was. But, to tell you the truth, I'm glad that of everyone here, I remembered you first."

Both boys beamed at me. "Thanks, Onee-san!" they yelled in unison. I clutched them tighter to me once again.

"How sweet." A voice from the hallway said, breaking us apart. We all turned to see Elliot leaning against the wall.

"Hey, blond chickie rabbit!" Dee greeted. I almost laughed as the rabbit's face turned red.

"I'm not a rabbit!"

…It didn't take long for the three of them to start yelling back and forth about whether Mr. March was a rabbit or not.

"I eat carrot _dished_. Not _regular_ carrots! There's a difference!"

"You have rabbit ears!"

"You're a pervert rabbit!"

…You get my point. They were broken from their fighting by the door opening again. In walked a tall man with long black hair. He was dressed in a white jacket with black trousers and black shoes. A cane with a hat decoration atop it was in his hands and a black top hat with red roses sat slightly askew on his head.

"Elliot March," the man said angrily, "_What _was so important that you had to cut my negotiations short?"

Elliot grabbed me (for I had been standing behind the three of them) and pushed me in front of him. I looked up at him and noticed confusion pass across his face. He studied me silently and I gulped in anticipation.

"I just thought you might want to come home and say 'hi' to your little sister."

His mouth dropped as he stared at me with intense green eyes. His face… Who was he?

"K-karol…?"


	6. Blood, Sorry

**Sorry for not updating in a while. Been kind of busy with school work and such. Don't expect anything too soon. If I don't update by Friday, there won't be another update until December 'cause I'll be away :'(. Thanks to everyone who's reading and reviewing! Here's the scene where Blood and Karol finally meet O_o. Will it end up okay?**

**PS- sorry about the Blood OOC-ness, but there really was no other way to do the Blood/Karol scene without it. (NO, they aren't supposed to seem in love. That would be incest, my dear Watson, which is frowned upon in most societies.)**

**I DON'T OWN ALICE IN THE COUNTRY OF HEARTS!**

**(c) I DO own Karol Scarlet Dupre, however. :) She is my character.**

* * *

_Elliot grabbed me (for I had been standing behind the three of them) and pushed me in front of him. I looked up at him and noticed confusion pass across his face. He studied me silently and I gulped in anticipation. _

"_I just thought you might want to come home and say 'hi' to your little sister."_

_His mouth dropped as he stared at me with intense green eyes. His face… Who was he?_

"_K-karol…?" _

I gave the man a hesitant smile and nodded. "Um, yeah. That's me." I muttered shyly. His green eyes stared at me intensely as my ocean eyes stared at the ground. He seemed familiar: He had long black hair and a short temper. His face was smooth and his eyes were gorgeous, but I didn't know him. It was like seeing someone from a dream, like what you were seeing wasn't reality. _This _was Blood? I guess we looked similar in a way, but in reality, how could we be related? Everything is being shoved on me so fast; it's almost impossible to distinguish what's true or not. Mafia boss? He certainly looks like one. How can I be related to a _Mafia_ boss!

No, it's not possible. This "Blood" and I aren't related.

"How are you still alive?" Blood asked, taking a step towards me, one arm outstretched. Instinctively I stepped back and away from him.

"Don't touch me." I warned. Blood stood still and watched my movements. His eyes were unnerving and it was scaring me how everyone here thought they knew me. I wasn't—_ couldn't _be related to this Blood character. Confusion washed over his features as he stood there. He took several strides towards me, his large hand closing over my wrist.

"Karol, I—"

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" I screamed, trying to pull out of his grasp. What was wrong with me? Where was I? What was going on? "I want to go home; LET GO OF ME!"

Blood released my arm and I made a mad dash up the stairs of the mansion. I ran into the room I had fallen asleep in earlier, locked the door, and curled up under the bed sheets. I cried, not sure what was wrong with me. I felt horrible, like I was going to throw up, and shut my eyes tightly in an attempt to block out my thoughts.

What was going on? How come my life has to be tossed in every which direction? Why can't I just live a normal life? I want to go home…

As I lay there, I was suddenly hit by a wave of feelings, emotions, and memories: love, trust, protectiveness over my brother, hate for being lied to, desire for my brother to never leave, sadness at seeing my brother cry, terror at knowing I was dying. I saw Blood and I when we were younger in the rose garden; Blood and I were walking around town, him holding my hand like a dutiful older brother; Blood tucked me in for bed and reading me a story before bed; Blood letting me sleep in his room because I had a nightmare; Blood helping me tie my shoes; Blood buying me my first hat; Blood giving me a blood-stained white rose; Blood allowing me and a friend into his private tea party; Blood saving me when I fell into a creek; Blood comforting me when my pet fish died; Blood helping me with my school studies; Me standing up for Blood when my mother got angry at him because he wasn't her own son; Blood giving me his favorite book to read; Blood making me black tea; Blood listening to me sing and telling me how good it sounded; Blood promising to never leave me; Blood crying for the fist time in years as I expired on the divan; Blood, Blood, Blood…

Blood _was_ my brother. Oh, gosh, _Blood _was_ my _brother! And I had forgotten him! How could I do that to him? For the past six years… oh gosh, everything was true! I lived here! This is my home! And, downstairs…

I jumped up and ran down the stairs as fast as I could. Tears were flowing from my eyes as I entered the front room. Everyone was still there.

"Blood!" I yelled running and tackling him in a hug. Hot tears poured from my face. I remembered! I really had died, and now my brother was here. He was my brother, and gosh I had missed him. I buried my face in his chest, in haling the scent of roses and black tea, and it wasn't long before his arms encircled me in a tight hug as well. Blood. Blood was my brother. Blood was my brother and I didn't remember him until _just now!_ What kind of sister am I?

"Karol? Oh my go—" he choked out a sob, pressing his face into my shoulder, tears soaking into the fabric of my dress. "Karol! You're alive and you remember!"

We stayed like that for quite a while, just hugging each other and equally sharing in missing each others presence.

"Actually," I said, pulling away from him, "I don't remember much. Falling down the rabbit hole must have jostled my memory slightly, but I don't remember much." I said sadly. I really couldn't remember much, but I did n=know that Blood was my brother, my family, my home, and that was all I needed right now.

"It doesn't matter." Blood whispered. "You're alive and well; that's all that matters. Everything's fine."

* * *

Blood and I were walking around town; dusk had just recently started and people were scurrying around trying to prepare for closing time. I was clutching his arm tightly and refusing to release him.

"It's changed so much!" I exclaimed. Even after being here moments ago with the twins, it was different walking around with Blood at my side. Blood smiled and nodded.

"Yes, but you've been gone for six years, Kar."

We walked on in comfortable silence, the only sound being the ticking of our clocks and our soft footsteps.

"Oh, Karol, there's a dance within ten day revolutions. I am required to go, being the head of Hatter Mansion, and I wish for you to come as well." Blood said, breaking the silence. I remember those dances hazily. I was too young to go, but I remember watching my mother get dressed for them and hearing about them from... someone with dog ears…

"Of course I'll come!" I hugged him tightly, one of his arms wrapping around me as well.

"Blood…?" a young female voice called out tentatively. I turned to see who it was. It was a girl, a year or two younger than me, with dirty blond hair and striking blue eyes. She was dressed in a blue dress with blue and white striped stockings, ruby red shoes, and a blue bow rested snugly in her hair. She was pretty and I wondered why something seemed so different about her.

"Hello, Alice." Blood said. There was a cocky smirk on his lips as he stared at her. Something about the look he gave her seemed familiar… "You just couldn't stay away, now could you?"

Alice's face heated up with embarrassment and she looked down. "I can! I w-was only buying supplies for, for Julius! And I saw you here." She justified. "Why would I want to see you again, especially after, th-that?"

I watched her curiously, returning my attention to my brother. It was quite obvious that he was smitten with her, but apparently she didn't like him for something he had done wrong… hm… maybe I can help…

"Blood, who's she?" I asked, breaking the uncomfortable tension between them. Blood, probably forgetting I was even there, turned his attention to me.

"Ah, yes. This is Alice." He responded. Really? I didn't realize that (SARCASM). "She's an outsider."

"What's an 'outsider'?" I asked in confusion. This was all so strange to me…

"Someone with a heart."

"Oh!" I exclaimed happily. "It's so great to meet someone else from there! Well, technically I'm, not from there, but I lived there for a while so I guess that in a way that counts as living there and being an outsider, but I was originally born here so technically I'm in actuality a Wonderlandian, but you know what? This is all too confusing to think about." I ranted. I held out a hand for her to shake. "Anyway, Hi, Alice. I'm Karol Dupre." I saw her visibly cringe after hearing my name. What? Was there something wrong with my name? Did it offend her?

"Oh…" she trailed off. "So, you're married to Blood?"

…

WHAT! ? ! ? ! ? ! ? ! ? ! ? ! ? ! ?


	7. My Pinku no Neko

**Welcome back! Thanks to everyone that has reviewed and added this story to their favorites and/or story alert. I want to thank:**

**pasty face**

**MourningBlack**

**FumieZ**

**EarthRiddle**

**HeartOfNewcastle**

**for reviewing! Thank you guys so much; reviews make my day! Boris appears in this chapter, and hopefully Karol, Blood, and Alice can sort out their misunderstanding. No promises ;)**

**(C) QuinRose owns Joker/Clover/Heart no Kuni no Alice **

**(C) ChaosAngel4us (AKA: Eris) owns Karol Dupre. You can use her if you need an OC, but give me credit!**

**...That is all. ENJOY!**

* * *

"N-no, I, I just— we are— I am..." I struggled for words as the outsider slowly turned around. I turned panicked eyes to Blood. He looked as shocked and disgusted as I felt. "Say something!" I hissed. He opened and closed his mouth like a fish, no sound coming from his wine red lips. Alice gave me a tight smile and offered a half-hearted wave.

"I need to get back to Julius now. It was nice to meet you, Karol-sama!" she smiled, but it didn't reach her crystal blue eyes. If I'm not mistaken, it appeared as if she was about to cry. As the young girl hurried away, I couldn't help but notice her wipe away at her face. I turned to look at Blood. He was standing, frozen, in the same spot as before. A tick mark formed on my forehead.

"WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY ANYTHING! ?" I angrily demanded. Blood glared at me, composing himself and remaining relatively calm.

"It's not like you said anything either." He countered. I sighed angrily.

"Didn't you see me try?"

"Yeah, and look at how well that turned out." He spat. I recoiled, as if slapped. Blood had never been this cruel to me. Ever. I was furious to feel hot tears begin to form at my eyes. I willed myself not to cry.

"Wonderland isn't the only thing that has changed." I whispered, lowering my head, "You have as well."

And I took off running.

Faintly, I could hear Blood calling my name, telling me to stop, but I just kept running. I was so confused! Just recently, I've been piecing together my memories and now to have so much thrown on top of me at once, why couldn't I just remember everything! ? I barely remember those at the Hatter Mansion, and now I'm dealing with— with— …What _am _I dealing with…?

I ran into something, hard, and fell backwards onto my butt. Rubbing my head where I collided with whatever it was, I opened an eye to see a pink haired guy with cat ears, a tail, an outrageous boa, and a really cool chain collar. He had piercings in several different places (including the cat ears and tail) and two upside down triangular tattoos were right under his eyes.

"Ow…" he moaned before offering me a hand. "Sorry bought that. I wasn't watching where I was going." I smiled at him and took the hand. The soft, rhythmic tick of a clock could be heard from his chest, and I realized that maybe not _everyone _in Wonderland was changing for the worse.

"Yeah, neither was I." I added. "I was running, and didn't see you. Sorry 'bout that." I apologized. He grinned at me, a very _Cheshire _grin. (Now, where did that thought come from…?)

"It's alright. No harm, no foul. I'm Boris by the way. I don't think I've seen you around before. You from Clover?" Boris asked, tilting his head to the side in confusion, much like a curious kitten. I giggled as an image of a pink kitten filled my thoughts.

"No," I shook my head, "I'm actually from above." I answered, pointing up. Boris' eyes widened in shock.

"An outsider! But you have a clock for a heart, right?"

I nodded. "Yeah; I'm originally from Wonderland, but as to how I ended up above without any memory of this place is really quite vexing." I answered with a sigh.

"Hm… That's odd." He said. "What did you say your name was again?"

"I didn't." I answered, snapping when I didn't mean to. "I'm sorry. I'm Karol. Karol Dupre."

Boris paled and took a step back to steady himself. Did that mean he knew me too?

"Y-you're K-Karol?" he stammered. I nodded slowly. "A-and, you don't remember m-me?"

Once again I nodded. "Forgive me, but after my "death", I lost my memory and have been slowly gaining it back. How did I know you?"

Boris gave me a sad smile, shaking his head. "I finally get you out of me head, and you show up here…" he mumbled. "I was your best friend, your pinku no neko."

"I—" I stopped, closing my eyes to ponder his face. He didn't feel familiar. "I'm afraid I don't remember you."

Boris face fell even further (if that was possible) and he sat down in the grass.

"Oh. Okay then. I guess that's to be expected. When you die and Julius fixes your clock, you never are the same person you were before."

Pinku no neko, pinku no neko… that name was familiar, but—

"_WAHHH!" I cried. Daddy died, now Mommy was being mean to Aniki 'cause he was struggling with trying to take over the Mansion. It was hard work, and Mommy was being a meanie to Aniki! I love Aniki and he'll do good as boss person. Why can't Mommy accept that? _

"_Are you okay?" a voice said. I turned to see a pinku no neko. _

"_Kya!" I yelled, moving backwards and falling off the ledge I was sitting on. Pinku no neko grabbed me and pulled me back up._

"_G-gomenesai! I didn't mean to scare you." He apologized. "I'm Boris Airay, the Cheshire cat of the Amusement park."_

_I smiled hesitantly at him. Mommy said not to talk to strangers, but he was a neko, so it didn't matter, right? He seemed nice and the fuzzy thing around his neck looked warm and cozy. "I'm Karol Dupre. It's nice to meet you Neko-chama!" I smiled at him, 'cause he was nice and saved me. Bad people don't save little girls, so that must mean he is a nice pinku no neko._

"_Do you want to play with me at the Amusement park?" Neko-chama asked. I closed my eyes to think. Mommy said the other territories were bad places and not to go. _

"_My mommy said it's not good to go to other territories by myself, unless it's for business." I answered, crossing my arms over my chest. Neko-chama pouted. _

"_Pleeaassseee?" he begged. "It can be a favor since I saved your life." _

_Mommy always said to be nice to people and not owe anyone anything. If I do, I must repay the debt immediately. "Okay!" _

_I held Neko-chama's hand and we walked into the Amusement park, all fear about being in trouble leaving. It was fun; we rode lots of rides and then Neko-kun took me to the Clocktower Plaza so we could eat cotton candy. It tasted really good._

"_Did you have fun, Kar-tan?" he asked. I nodded, taking another bite out of the fluffy treat. It was pink, like his hair. _

"_Hehe, hai! I had fun with Neko-chama. He is my best friend!" I yelled, hugging him. "He is my pinku no neko!" _

I stopped talking, the memory filling my vision. Love, trust, and a bunch of other emotions filled my heart along with the memory. I saw Boris and I having tea at one of Aniki's many tea parties; Boris and I riding rides at the Amusement park; Boris giving me a pink ring, too big to fit on my finger, when we were six and promising we'd get married when we were older; Boris giving me a necklace with his name on it for my tenth birthday; Boris and I laying in the grass and watching the stars; Boris sleeping beside me as I saw my first shooting star; Boris standing protectively in front of me when those bad men with guns appeared; Boris helping Blood carry me when I got shot; Boris being the last thing I saw before I died… This was my pinku no neko! He was _my _Neko-chama! I hugged him, squeezing the life out of the punk cat before me. He had changed, but was still the same Boris I knew.

"_Neko-chama!"_ I yelled, his arms enveloping me. A small smile lit up his face.

"You remember…"

* * *

Boris and I talked and talked as we walked towards the amusement park. We talked about how we'd been for the past six years. He showed me his various tattoos and I got mad at him for all the piercings.

"I expect you to buy me some cotton candy, Mister." I said with mock anger, poking his chest. Boris chuckled, holding his hands up in surrender and nodding.

"Whatever you say, Kar-tan."

I smiled at the childish nickname he had given me. It brought back so many memories…

"Oh! Boris, have you seen Alice? She seems to think that I am Blood's wife."

Boris burst into laughter at that and it took several minutes to get him to calm down.

"Sorry, Kar, that's just too funny. But, yes, I have seen her. She's actually in the park with Pierce." Boris licked his lips at the mention of the mouse and I swatted at him playfully.

"It's cruel how you terrorize him." I chided. Boris only grinned.

"Pierce! Get back here with my cotton candy!" a distinctly female voice demanded as the yellow mouse ran at the sight of Boris. Alice sighed angrily before turning and seeing Boris and I. Her mouth opened in an "O" and she smiled at my pinku no neko.

"Hi, Boris!" she exclaimed happily. Her face changed from happiness to confusion. "What are you doing with Mrs. Dupre?"

I grimaced as Boris erupted into another fit of laughter. I wacked him.

"It's not that funny!" I yelled. Boris nodded.

"Actually, Alice, this is _Miss _Dupre: Blood's half sister." Boris replied after recovering. Alice face slid into a grin.

"Really? Sorry about earlier then. It's nice to meet you!" She exclaimed. I nodded enthusiastically.

"Mutual! I tried to tell you, but it was just so startling neither of us knew what to do." I replied. "Oh, and stay away from Blood for a little bit. I made him mad so now he needs to cool off."

Alice nodded, then thought about it, and stuck her nose up. "I won't be visiting that man _ever _again! I _refuse _to go to the ball if he will be there." She announced, storming off. I sighed.

"She's crazy about him."

Boris nodded in agreement. "If this had been earlier when she arrived, I would've been heartbroken, but Alice is now just a really good friend of mine. No romantic feelings anymore."

My heart clenched when he mentioned having "romantic feelings" for Alice. Why? Because in my memories, I was in love with him. And if the me in my memories was in love with him, then so was I.


	8. Monrey, Madness, and Tears, Oh My!

**Wow, I'm surprised I wrote this chapter so quickly. I love all of you that are reading this! Thanks so much for being so dedicated with reviewing and such. Reviews make me want to continue and make this story longer than I anticipated. Blah, whatever; I can't give you an estimated amount at the moment, but just to let you know, the timeline is extending into the fifth volume and past that. Just in case you didn't know.**

**Ugh, everytime I try to write about Blood, he turns into a pansy. Yes, once again, we have more Blood OOC-ness, but bear with me. Let's make him more game-verse than manga-verse, okay? Okay. Now that that's settled, here's a disclaimer:**

**(C) QuinRose owns Alice in the Country of Hearts**

**I OWN KAROL DUPRE! But, if you are in need of an OC, she's up for adoption ;)**

* * *

"So, do you remember anything that could help us figure out what might have happened to 'bring you back to life' and then leave Wonderland?" Boris asked. I pursed my lips, deep in thought. Alice stared curiously at me (for she had returned after cooling off) and Boris was, well, standing there. After a few moments I shook my head no.

"I can barely remember anything as is." I stated exasperatedly. "It's so vexing!" with a shout, I plopped onto the ground, huffing indignantly and resting my head on my hands. Boris rolled his eyes at my childish display and Alice chimed in.

"Well, Julius _is_ the only one that can fix clocks. Maybe he'd know something."

"That's brilliant!" Boris praised. Alice smiled at him, brushing her long brown hair back in embarrassment. Bullock! Why couldn't I think of it first? I stood up and smiled at Alice. It _was_ a good idea.

"He's the mortician, correct?"

Alice nodded enthusiastically. "Yes; I've lived with him since coming to Wonderland, but be careful. He tends to be grumpy.

And that started our journey to the Mortician's Castle.

"I remember this!" I cried as we entered the Clocktower Plaza. "This was where we met up when we were kids."

Boris nodded, offering me a smile. "Yeah, right up until…then…"

None of us spoke again until we reached the tower. Alice opened the door after knocking quietly and led the way up a winding staircase. The tower was huge; therefore it only seemed correct for the stairs to take _forever_ to climb. By the time we reached the top, I was panting slightly and quite out breath.

"I haven't been doing much stair-climbing…" I grumbled. "Bugger, need water…"

As I complained, I failed to notice the tall blue haired man that entered the room.

"How may I help you?" he asked. Julius Monrey's voice was low and held a tone of emotionless-ness. He looked bored when his eyes traveled over Boris and then Alice, but when they landed on me, curiosity crept into the corners of his dark eyes. "And, I don't believe we've met before."

I curtseyed (something so natural, but so alien at the same time). "I am Karol Dupre, the younger sister of Blood Dupre." I introduced. Surprise flashed through those cold eyes, but other than that, he remained stoic.

"That is, _interesting_, but I do believe that his younger sister passed on six years ago."

"And that's why we're here." Boris cut in. "Did you fix her clock?"

"I fix a lot of clocks."

"Did my mother, a foreigner, the only other outsider here recently besides Alice, bring you a clock to fix, and then took back with her above?" I asked. Julius stared at me, without speaking, cradling his chin with his left hand.

"…Yes. She came in crying and begged me to fix the clock. It was unusual for a Wonderlandian's clock; instead of being a normal, regular clock, it was covered with heart designs and when I fixed it, the entire clock shook like a heartbeat as it made a ticking noise. Harley thanked me profusely before drinking the vial and disappearing with the clock. I can only assume that in time, the clock reverted itself into a new person and said person began to live out their new life in peace." Julius explained. Wow; he spoke a lot for someone who seemed like a quiet person…

"So, that's what happened. My mother took me from this world and tried to get me to live a normal life. My memory must have been erased and my body must have taken the same shape. It doesn't usually work that way, correct?"

Julius shook his head no.

"So, because I have outsider blood in my veins, the process must have occurred differently."

"Interesting…" Julius muttered, walking around me an appraising manner.

"Well, I guess that explains a lot." Boris said with a shrug. I nodded.

"Yeah, tell me 'bout it. Mystery solved!" I announced. The three of us then erupted into a fit of laughter (minus Julius).

"Now with one mystery solved, I do believe it is time for dear Miss Alice to tell us if she is planning on attending the ball." Boris said as we sat in her room. It was quant, holding nothing more than a bed and a small closet. Alice shook her head.

"Not if Blood will be there." She huffed. I stared at her curiously.

"Yes, my brother is infuriating at times, but what did he do to anger you so much?" I questioned. Alice face turned red, whether from embarrassment or anger, I'll never know.

"I entered his precious rose garden—"

"You entered my rose garden!" I shrieked without meaning to. Alice looked taken aback.

"Uh, yes. I'm sorry. I thought it was Blood's."

"Well, he planted it for me when I was six, and always took me in there for very special one-on-one tea parties." I smiled sadly. "He was so good to me; whenever I was scared or upset about something, he'd always be there to pick me up, dust off the dirt, and give me his smile by taking my pain upon himself." I looked up, suddenly embarrassed. "So sorry! Please continue with your story."

Alice smiled at me. "It's okay. Anyway, I saw him in the garden with Vivaldi—"

"Vivaldi! ?" I yelled. "Blood always told me he didn't like to be around her and that she was quite cumbersome! Why would he be in my garden with her?"

Alice gave me a look and I quieted.

"Sorry, Alice. I'll try not to speak out again. Please continue." I said while giving her a weak smile. She nodded, obviously getting irritated, and Boris tapped my leg with his tail. I shot him a pointed glance before returning my attention back to the young foreigner.

"Yes, well, when I told him about it, he choked me in anger."

"WHAT! ?" I shrieked angrily, standing up from my position on the girl's bed. "BLOOD IS DEAD, I TELL YOU, D-E-A-D!"

And with that, I stomped all the way back to the mansion.

* * *

"BLOOD DUPRE!" I yelled at the top of my lungs along with banging the door open loudly. Instead of my brother looking to see what was wrong, I was attacked by two little boys and fell to the floor.

"Onee-san! You're back!"

"We were worried when you were gone for so long!"

"Boss got mad at us when we went to look for you! He told us not to slack off or he'd cut our pay."

"WAHH! Onee-san, don't let boss cut out pay!"

"Boys, boys!" I soothed, placating them by rubbing their tousled mops of brown hair. "Don't worry about anything getting cut and don't worry about me. I'm fine! But I have business with 'Boss'." I growled the word "Boss" out before extricating myself from the twins' limbs. Oh, I was gonna raise holy hell about what he'd done to poor Alice. And all over a mistake, too! When I found him, I was gonna strangle that man before dragging him down to apologize to Alice and _then_ and _only_ then, would I even _begin_ to consider forgiving him.

"You called?" the sultry, velvety voice of my older brother chimed. I glared daggers at him before stomping over to him. I was having fun with all the stomping. Ugh, focus, Kar. Don't get distracted!

"You. Choked. Alice."

Blood's face fell, and sadness overtook his features. Blood dropped his head into his hands as I watched in confusion.

"Yes, I did." He confessed sadly. "I, I was angry because she thought she knew me, and— and it was _your_ garden, and— and I was angry, overreacted, and hurt the woman I love." He admitted. Well, that wasn't what I expected. Blood moved over to the creamy white couch, dropping his head back into his hands. With a small smile, I sat beside him and began to rub soothing circles on his back. He turned his head to look at me and I gave him a reassuring smile.

"I'll help you, Blood. All you have to do is ask."

Blood didn't cry; he never did because my, no, _our_ father raised him to be tough. But there, on the davenport, Blood broke down for the second time in my entire life. I sat there, hugging him to my chest and allowing him to cry. Blood wasn't soft, but love can break even the toughed most hardened criminals in Wonderland.

"It'll all be okay." I promised, kissing his head softly. "I promise; I'll do everything in my power to help you."

Blood's striking green eyes flashed to meet my ocean blue-green ones. I smiled once again.

"I love you, Blood. I love you."

Blood nodded. "I love you too, Kar. Thank you, for everything."

* * *

"Alice!" I yelled, skipping over to greet my new friend. "It's been decided; you're going to the ball and coming dress shopping with me." I stated rather bluntly. The ball was less then six revolutions away, and I was getting so excited. I'd never been to a ball before, and the prospect of this one was invigorating. Alice stared at me in horror.

"I already said, I'm not going if Blood is there." She said. "Besides, I don't know how to dance…" she muttered under her breath. I flashed her a dazzling smile before taking her arm and dragging her away.

"Alice, my dear, you will come dress shopping with me, and then I shall get my butler to teach the both of us." I winked at her. "He's quite the dancer."

"Uh, o-okay." She agreed, not really sure how to respond. Happily, I skipped away with her by my side; poor Alice was dazed as she struggled to keep up with my upbeat movement.

"Karol, slow down!" she yelled. I threw my head back and laughed, the wind tossing my black locks back and my hat miraculously staying atop my head.

"But where's the fun in that?"

"You're mad." Alice said, shaking her head in exasperation. I gave her a toothy grin.

"You know it, luv."


	9. Dresses, Dancing, and Tea with Vivaldi

**The dress that Alice is wearing is the one from the Blood route (Look it up) and the dress Karol is wearing is a teal version of this dress (take out the spaces): http:/ www. /shop /nopcart /taffeta_ layered_ dress. html**

**By the way, "Imōto" means "little sister" in Japanese. **

* * *

"_It doesn't matter how deep you dig the valley, the water will never fill it up." _

"_Why, Aniki?"_

"_Because, if the water ever filled it up, there would be no place for us to live."_

"…_We live in a valley?"_

"_Yes, of course. Where else did you think we lived?"_

"_In a mansion…"_

"…_That may be true, but the Mansion is in a valley."_

"_I thought the Mansion was in Hatter territory?"_

"…_Well, the Mansion is in Hatter territory, which is then in the valley. There, happy?"_

"_But, I thought the Hatter territory was in Wonderland?"_

"… _Sister, if you keep asking pointless questions, I'm going to leave."_

"_You only say that when you don't know something."_

"…_Whatever, I'm through here. Goodbye sister." _

"_Hehe, goodbye, Aniki. I love you." _

**

* * *

**

"Wait a minute," Alice said, tugging me to a stop. "I already told you I wasn't going to the ball! He insults me all the time and it doesn't matter what I do, he'll make me feel bad. I'm _not_ going." Alice planted her feet firmly on the ground and stubbornly placed her hands on her hips. I rolled my eyes at her childish display, grabbed her wrist tightly, and then continued moving (dragging the unwilling girl the whole way).

"Aniki isn't that bad of a person, Alice." I said with a sigh. Alice gave me a pointed glance which I then shrugged off. "He's just not sure how to handle a woman he actually cares about. I remember how he treated women; they were tools to him, but after seeing the way he treats you, I think that you're the first woman, besides me, that he's cared enough about to actually stick around with."

"He's horrible…" Alice grumbled. I gave her a smile, glad to see she hadn't noticed me pulling her into a dress shop.

"He's a Mafia _Lord_. What do you expect? He's violent, unruly, terrifying, unpredictable, but you're not looking deeper inside. Blood has a generous and loveable streak; it just takes a little bit of time to search for it."

Alice mumbled incoherently as I sifted through the dresses. I found one and smiled.

"Here; try this one on." I ordered, shoving her into a dressing room. She tried to make a sound of protest, but I wouldn't allow it. Cracking my neck, I went to work on finding myself a dress. Now, what color should I—

"_Neko-chama what's your favorite color?" I asked him. We were walking through the forest together, me clinging to his arm incase the bad Jub-Jub Bird appeared again. It was scary and took my hat! It's a good think I have more of them at home. I like hats. They're fun to wear. I wonder why Neko-chama hasn't answered yet…_

"_Um… probably a blue-green, like your eyes." He answered. I looked at him, wide-eyed._

"_B-but, you always wear pink! Why isn't it your favorite color?"_

_Neko-chama smiled at me, leaning forward and pressing a kiss to my forehead. "'Cause I met you and your eyes became my new favorite."_

I smiled; these memories were _really _coming in handy. Teal was it. As I sifted through the many dresses, Alice reappeared. I turned and smiled appraisingly at her. Clapping my hands together, I remarked, "It's perfect! Pink _definitely_ suits you better than blue." I winked at her. "Besides, pink is Blood's favorite color."

She blushed, the same color as her dress. It was a long dress that brushed her ankles and had one very thin white ruffle strap over her left shoulder. Gold beads were wrapped around the center with several lighter pink ruffles falling below it. A bow sat above her breasts and it exposed a pink material necklace with a small teardrop shaped jewel dangling down her throat. A large light pink bow was tied in the back as well. It was beautiful and looked quite flattering on her. It was just missing one thing…

Glancing to my left in pure luck, I spotted a pair of pink gloves with ruffles at the edges. With a smile a swiped them from their resting place and tossed them to Alice.

"Put these on." I said and her ensemble was complete. I smiled hugely at her. "You look gorgeous! Blood will be so stunned; he won't be able to speak."

Alice turned an even brighter shade of pink and fidgeted uncomfortably. I smiled; this would be one dance no one would _ever_ forget.

"I think it's time to find you a dress." Alice cut in rather quickly. I shrugged and continued rummaging, but nothing caught my eye. Sadly, I was beginning to loose hope, at least, until Alice yelled, "I found something!"

She held up a teal dress; it was dazzling. It was strapless with a light blue bow tied around the waist. It flared out at the bottom and cascaded in ruffles from the waist down. It was beautiful, and I had to give props to Alice for finding such a gorgeous dress. I smiled and nodded enthusiastically at her.

"Definitely! Now, let's go buy them."

Now, either my enthusiasm won out, or Alice was just pretending to not want to go to the magnificent ball. I'm really not sure which one it is… Anyway, we bought (coughcough _**I **_BOUGHT cough) the dresses and I ran off to find my butler that was a superb dance instructor, as I recall. I'd seen him around the mansion recently, so I knew for sure that he hadn't been killed off yet.

Instead, I ran into Elliot. I flashed a smile at him. "Hey, Elliot! Have you seen the butler that taught me how to dance?"

The poor rabbit sweat dropped. "Uh, sorry, Karol, but I'm not good with telling the servants apart. I'd ask someone else. So sorry!" he said, running off. I huffed in displeasure. Looks like this was a solo mission.

And, alas! I just so happened to run into him along the way.

"Hey!" I called. "Butler, I need you to help teach Alice how to dance."

"Um, yes, Miss Dupre. Of course." He responded with a bow. "Where is she?"

I motioned outside. "Rally up a couple other servants and I'll show you."

It didn't take long for him to get two more male servants and three female servants. I led the way back towards the Clocktower Plaza where Alice was waiting patiently. I smiled and waved.

"Alice, I brought them!" I yelled. She gave me a small, uncertain smile. "It's okay; he's a great tutor." I motioned to Butler behind me. He bowed and stepped forward. He raised a hand, waiting for her to take it.

"May I?" he asked. Alice nodded slowly, and the dance began.

He was a good dancer, but I really felt bad for the guy; Alice was _horrible_, and kept accidentally stepping on his toes. The poor faceless… I almost stopped them for fear of him loosing mobility of his feet. But I didn't. Yes, I'm a bad person, but it wasn't like his life was in _danger_ or anything. Well… I guess dancing with Alice would qualify, but… Bah, I'm a bad person. Oh well.

The dance lessons went on for quite some time; morning had turned to mid-day and that was almost over, by the time a Palace guard appeared.

"Miss Karol Dupre?" he asked. I nodded.

"That's me. How can I help you?"

"Her Majesty, Queen Vivaldi, requests your appearance for teas at her castle by dusk."

Vivaldi, huh? Well, I _am_ related to her the same way I am to Blood, but Blood and I are closer. What would Vivaldi want with _me_? It didn't make sense. Why would she want to have tea with me? Who knows; maybe it's a Dupre thing or something. I nodded to the guard.

"I'll be back soon, Alice. Don't get my servants into any trouble, okay?"

Alice nodded before Butler returned them to their dance lessons. I nodded, again, at the guard.

"Shall we?"

* * *

Heart Castle was _huge_. It was probably the biggest territory out of all of them. I'd never been here before; it was interesting to be in such a different territory. Most Roleholders weren't able to travel freely though territories, and even though I had foreigner in me, it didn't make sense as to why Vivaldi requested my council.

When I reached the small garden where Vivaldi was to hold the tea party, it turned dusk almost instantly. The Queen of Hearts looked up and smiled at me.

"You have inexplicable timing; we were afraid you might be late." She said. "Please, sit." She motioned to a seat opposite from her. I nodded, fearing my head, before taking a seat. Vivaldi waved over a servant and pointed at me cup. "Giver her some black tea, straight from out tea supply." She ordered. The maid nodded and scurried off rather quickly. I turned my attention back to the Queen of Hearts.

"You wished to speak with me?"

Vivaldi nodded, setting her tea cup down. "Yes. Karol, we are your half-sibling as well as that man, Blood Dupre, and we fear that we have been neglecting you." She explained. _No kidding; this is the first time I've ever actually spoken with you…_ "We are very glad that you have returned and know now the pain our brother has faced." Vivaldi smiled as she looked me over. "You are quite the cute girl and we wish to apologize for not being able to speak with you properly before now."

I nodded at her. "Thank you, Vivaldi. This means a lot to me." I responded, not sure if it was a lie or the truth.

"We know that you will be upset to hear that Blood and I have been meeting in your rose garden." She said. Anger bubbled in my throat, but I refused to shout and therefore loose my head. "No need to hold it in; we understand."

"How could you _do _that! ?" I demanded. "That is _my _garden, and you have been meeting there secretly for _how_ long now?"

Vivaldi stayed silently in thought. "About six years."

That was when I exploded.

"SIX YEARS! ? YOU'VE BEEN TAKING OVER MINE AND BLOOD'S GARDEN FOR _SIX_ YEARS! ?" I yelled furiously. Vivaldi sat there calmly as I continued to spout nonsense about how angry I was. After a few minutes, I sat down, panting ever so lightly. Vivaldi only smiled, _not_ cutting off my head.

"Yes, Karol, but we did so for a reason. Because I had not known you as well as our brother did, we met up to speak fondly of you. That way I felt as if I could get close enough to you and pretend like my little sister was somehow still alive." Vivaldi's face fell. "We are related, Imōto, and I wish we could have gotten to know each other better."

I stared at her, stunned. Whatever I was expecting, that was _not_ it. I was speechless; completely and entirely speechless. Vivaldi's face turned upward into a small smile.

"We are glad you could come. We do hope you can return to more tea parties at the castle, Karol Dupre."

I took that as a dismissal and stood to leave. "Thank you, Vivaldi. It was, _good_ to talk to you."

Vivaldi nodded. "We thought so as well."


End file.
